A soldier accused of leaking government secrets claims he was treated to a degrading regime for nine months while awaiting trial in a military prison.

Pte Manning is suspected of being the source of unauthorised classified information (Picture: AP)

Pte Bradley Manning was forced to strip and endure up to 24 hours at a time in a tiny cell, court papers in the US allege.

He also developed a rash from a rough suicide-prevention blanket and was harassed by guards, they claim.

Orders for ‘maximum custody’ were said to have been given by a US Army general who allegedly said: ‘We’ll do whatever we want to do.’

Lawyers for Pte Manning, who is accused of sending information to website WikiLeaks, say the case should be dismissed on the grounds of his harsh treatment.

‘Manning was awoken at 0500 hours and required to remain awake in his cell from 0500 to 2200 hours,’ says Manning’s civilian lawyer David Coombs, adding that the soldier was only allowed 20 minutes of sunshine each day.